Page 17

POPULATION GROWTH OF THE AREA
The populat i on growth of the Albemarle Area dates from 1585,
when the f irst Engl ish settlement in America, "the cittie of
Rale i gh , " was es tabl ished on Roanoke Island, a small parcel of
land located between the main1and and the outer banks . Although
th is attempt at colonization failed, permanent residence was
later establ ished in the northern half of the area by the late
1650's, and settlement has been continuous since that time.
By the y ear 1860 , just before the Civil War, the population
of the Alb e marle Area had reached a total of 63,2540 However,
dur ng the ten year per i od, ending in 1870, the populat i on
d c1 ned to 60,654 as a result of the Civil War o During the
follow ing decade, between 1870 and 1880, the population of the
ar e a rose again to surpass the 1860 figure. Census records
show that 70 , 863 people now lived in the area, a ga i n of about
22 perc ent~ I n no d ecade since has the area's population growth
rate exceeded t en percent .
In the years betwe e n 1880 and 1910 the area grew steadily,
averaging about an eight percent increase in population each
decade. By 1910 the number of inhabitants had reached 92 , 800 &
However , the area has g r own very little since that time; the
1960 census l i sted the compos ite area as having 97,698 residents,
an increase of only four p ercent over a per i od of fifty years .
The popu lati on p r oject i ons based on these statistics
ind i cate that ther e are some economic problems within the reg i on.
In the past the area has been ab1~ more or less, to hold its
population level on a constant plateau. It is probable that
the area will e xper ience only very modest populat i on gains over
the next 20 years o Although past trends seem to indicate a
futu re decrease i n populat i on, a number of factors are act i ng
to c ount e r these trends o Among these are the growth of the
Norfolk Metropol i tan Ar e a , the expansion of water oriented
commerc i al and residential development, the increase of indus­tr
a1ization, the i mprovement of transportation and access~ and
the growth of key towns ~
2

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POPULATION GROWTH OF THE AREA
The populat i on growth of the Albemarle Area dates from 1585,
when the f irst Engl ish settlement in America, "the cittie of
Rale i gh , " was es tabl ished on Roanoke Island, a small parcel of
land located between the main1and and the outer banks . Although
th is attempt at colonization failed, permanent residence was
later establ ished in the northern half of the area by the late
1650's, and settlement has been continuous since that time.
By the y ear 1860 , just before the Civil War, the population
of the Alb e marle Area had reached a total of 63,2540 However,
dur ng the ten year per i od, ending in 1870, the populat i on
d c1 ned to 60,654 as a result of the Civil War o During the
follow ing decade, between 1870 and 1880, the population of the
ar e a rose again to surpass the 1860 figure. Census records
show that 70 , 863 people now lived in the area, a ga i n of about
22 perc ent~ I n no d ecade since has the area's population growth
rate exceeded t en percent .
In the years betwe e n 1880 and 1910 the area grew steadily,
averaging about an eight percent increase in population each
decade. By 1910 the number of inhabitants had reached 92 , 800 &
However , the area has g r own very little since that time; the
1960 census l i sted the compos ite area as having 97,698 residents,
an increase of only four p ercent over a per i od of fifty years .
The popu lati on p r oject i ons based on these statistics
ind i cate that ther e are some economic problems within the reg i on.
In the past the area has been ab1~ more or less, to hold its
population level on a constant plateau. It is probable that
the area will e xper ience only very modest populat i on gains over
the next 20 years o Although past trends seem to indicate a
futu re decrease i n populat i on, a number of factors are act i ng
to c ount e r these trends o Among these are the growth of the
Norfolk Metropol i tan Ar e a , the expansion of water oriented
commerc i al and residential development, the increase of indus­tr
a1ization, the i mprovement of transportation and access~ and
the growth of key towns ~
2